Harvest Monday

August 19, 2013

I harvested some bush beans at the beginning of this week after ripping out the plants. I was also able to harvest my first yellow squash! Very exciting after the other three plants I planted rotted (all 5 zucchini plants rotted).

These beans from the spent plants were steam-blanched, frozen on a tray, and then put into a freezer bag. I am harvesting Roma tomatoes and a few what I call ‘regular’ tomatoes as they ripen. However, because of our incessant rain this year, they are really starting to split and the ants are trying to get to them before I can. So I am having to bring some in before they ripen on the vine.

(‘Regular’ tomato (sorry, I can’t remember the variety), Roma, and two ‘Jellybean’ tomatoes)

I harvested some more pole beans from my daughter’s garden (about $2.50 worth) and squash from my garden later in the week.

More bush beans and tomatoes.

Do you notice the tomato that looks different? Two (maybe three?) years ago, Daphne from Daphne’s Dandelions asked if anyone wanted some seeds. I said I would so she sent me some Amish Paste tomatoes, Cherokee Purple tomatoes, and a couple varieties of lettuce.

I have had issues growing tomatoes in the past and this year, with all of the transplanting, even after everything came up, I was unsure what varieties survived. Apparently, one of her Cherokee Purple tomato plants survived! So excited! Thank you Daphne! All of our tomatoes are splitting from the rain but it looks really pretty on the bottom 🙂

(husband’s hand, not mine 😉 )

FUTURE HARVESTS:

I am STILL waiting on our cantaloupes.

I see peas on the horizon!

And we will finally be eating greens from our garden again soon! It has been three months since we’ve eating spinach, two months since we’ve eaten lettuce from the garden, and one month since we’ve eaten kale from the garden. I am buying some from the store but it just doesn’t taste as good

(Spinach at the top, Carrots in the middle, Lettuce at the bottom)

I did harvest a handful of baby lettuce leaves but they were not very tasty. I know they will taste better as the temperature cools though so I am still looking forward to tasty lettuce!

And, of course, another harvest I am waiting for is…eggs. I have Orpingtons and Australorps. Both are supposed to be great layers but they also do not start laying until 23-26 (or 28) weeks. Mine are 24 weeks. I am trying to be patient 🙂

I am linking with Daphne’s Dandelions for Harvest Monday. Check out what everyone else is harvesting!